Patterns and associations of spiritual needs with sociodemographic factors, chronic diseases, and geriatric syndrome among older adults attending a general out-patient clinic in Nigeria

Spiritual needs are increasingly recognised as a component of holistic geriatric care, yet data from Nigerian older adults are scarce. To assess spiritual needs pattern and their associations with sociodemographic and clinical factors among older adult outpatients in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study of 280 older adults (aged 60–95 years; mean 69.0 ± 6.99) attending the general outpatient clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria, was conducted. Spiritual needs were assessed using the 20-item Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, yielding overall and four domain scores (religious, existential, inner peace, giving/generativity). Sociodemographic characteristics, chronic diseases, and self-reported geriatric syndromes were recorded. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed. Religious needs were the most strongly expressed domain (1.83 ± 0.66), followed by giving/generativity (1.66 ± 0.58), with inner peace and existential needs less prominent. Chronic disease was reported by 92.9% of participants, and at least one geriatric syndrome by 87.1% of participants. No chronic disease was associated with spiritual needs despite the overall multivariable model being significant (F[5,274] = 3.812, p = 0.002; adjusted R 2 = 0.048). Age 70–79, urinary incontinence, and marital status were independently associated with religious needs; female sex, falls, and sleep problems with existential needs; visual impairment and falls with inner-peace needs; and low mood with giving/generativity needs. Spiritual needs in this population are multidimensional, with associations differing by domain and clustering around geriatric syndromes. This underscores the need for routine spiritual needs assessments in general outpatient geriatric care.